Symbolically
by Onirei Kirara
Summary: Albel discovers that a certain New Year's tradtion is commonplace everywhere, from Airyglyph, to Earth, to a broom closet. And that even the best things can be awkward. Shonenai, AlbelxFayt.


**Yeah this idea is overdone, so what? It's New Year's! HAPPY NEW YEAR'S! After twelve, I'm hanging up my Fruits Basket calendar.**

**Diclaimer: I don't own, so you can't take. Simple.**

**Fun Fact: This is the first time I've written a story with a kiss in it. Scary. Hey, don't run away! I promise it's good!**

**---**

New Year's had always been Albel's least favorite holiday. Out of all the many holidays and festivals that Airyglyph celebrated, New Year's was by far the loudest and most obnoxious. At the end of every year when it rolled around, he shut and bolted his windows and tried his damndest to ignore the cheers outside the castle. If there were ever a Grinch or a Scrooge of New Year's, Albel was it. In fact, he was a SCROOGY GRINCH. So imagine his surprise, when three months after Airyglyph's New Year, he found himself caught up in it again on the Diplo.

"It's the difference in the calendars, Albel," Fayt explained to him after Albel had--err--_inquired_ about the matter. "The planets that are under the Federation government, or even those that are just recognized, have different calendars. However, the government arranged for New Year's to be on the same day for all the planets, so we could have a universal-wide celebration! Doesn't that sound nice?"

Apparently not, because a few minutes later Fayt was quailing under a death glare.

"You maggots don't have any weird 'traditions' to go along with this, do you? Like the 'Krissmas tree' or the 'mickletoe'?"

"It's mistletoe, Albel," Fayt reminded him gently. And as for New Year's traditions—well, usually everyone gets pretty drunk."

"_Hmph," _Albel thought. _"That doesn't sound too bad."_

Fayt coughed. "And..well, there's the New Year's kiss…" he added, going slightly red. "Couples usually kiss when the clock strikes twelve and the new year starts."

"_Okay, scratch that." _ Albel mentally gagged. Cliff and Mirage snogging under the mickletoe during Krissmas time was bad enough, but now it had to me revisited? So soon?

Fayt scratched his head sheepishly. "It's a tradition going back pretty far. Are you sure people in Airyglyph don't do it?"

Well, that was a though. Albel really hadn't seen what exactly people did on New Year's in years. Throwing another glare at Fayt, he stalked out of the room, leaving the bluenette to wonder what he said wrong.

--

_11:00 PM, December 31st _

Albel was awoken by a small knock and his door. He grumpily pulled his head out from underneath the pillow and tossed said pillow across the room.

The door slid open to reveal a cowering Fayt, who seemingly tried to make himself appear smaller at the sight of Albel.

"Um.." Fayt said in a tiny voice. "I was just—wondering—if you wanted to stay up to greet the new year?"

Fayt's answer was the pneumatic shut of the door in his face.

"Hey!" he shouted, apparently having regained some of his gumption. "I was just trying to be nice!"

All Fayt could discern was a mumbled, "Fuck off."

The Embodiment of Destruction kicked the door angrily and walked off.

_**--**_

"_Glou!" _The woman giggled. _"Stop it! Albel's still in the room!"_

"_Aw c'mon Agatha, the boy's old enough to know about the New Year's kiss."_

"_Kiss? How do you think Albel came to be, exactly?" _Agatha placed her hands on her hips and tutted at her husband.

Acting very immaturely, Glou stuck his tongue out at his wife and kneeled down to talk to his son.

"_Albel, you know that pretty soon it's going to be a new year, right?"_

The little boy nodded.

"_Well, tradition has it, that when the clock strikes 12, you kiss the person you love the most. Symbolically it means you're starting a new life together."_

Five-year-old Albel pondered this for a moment, then ran over to his mother and pecked her on the lips.

Glou burst out laughing, then picked up Albel and Agatha together.

"_How about when the clock chimes, we all kiss each other. Alright?"_

_**--**_

_11:54 PM_

Albel woke up clutching his pillow fiercely. Yet another childhood memory that had managed to find its way back to him in these past few weeks. The warm, happy memory of his parents that somehow reminded him of someone else. Someone who could offer advice and security when he needed it, but most of all, _love._

--

_11:56 PM_

Albel burst onto the Diplo's main starboard. He decided to ignore Maria streaking on top of the captain's chair and turned towards Mirage.

"Where's Fayt?" he gasped, having run up from the bottom level of the ship. Albel had a fear of elevators.

Mirage blinked, confused, at Albel. "Um he's in his room, I think, but.."

Albel tore off, leaving Mirage with a bunch of drunken idiots.

--

_11:57 PM_

Albel rushed up to Fayt's door and began pounding on it. When he received no response, he angrily pushed the 'open' switch, only to find it unlocked.

The room was completely dark. Fayt was obviously not here, or there would have been a lot more talking going on.

"Shit.."Albel cursed, gnawing on his lower lip. Turning on his heel, he ran off to check the remainder of the ship.

--

_11:59 PM_

Albel walked back to his room dejectedly. He swore he'd checked every room, every bathroom, so unless Fayt was hiding in a cupboard somewhere, he wasn't on the ship.

But he obviously _was_ on the ship. Albel pressed the open button on his door, feeling quite like he'd fucked up yet another aspect of his life that showed promise. He turned on the light, only to find..

A rather perky-looking bluenette standing in front of him.

"_HOLY SHIT!" _Albel screeched, falling backwards onto his bottom.

"So, you gave up?" Fayt crooned and smiled sweetly at the fallen swordsman.

"Cupboard hider.." Albel muttered darkly, and stood up. "Listen. I want to apologize," he said flatly.

"No need." Fayt grinned. "But listen. The new year is about starting a new life, and I thought, maybe you should think abo.." Fayt was abruptly cut off as he found Albel's lips upon his. Somewhere in the background a digital clock was bleeping that it was twelve o'clock; but right then neither the deranged sadistic killer or the sweet Epitome of Destruction cared about anything else but each other.

A little while later, Fayt was leaning somewhat awkwardly against Albel's chest. Albel himself was bright red: the tomatoiest tomato in the world couldn't have out-tomatoed him.

"So.." the swordsman began, feeling nervous and very un-Albely, "How'd you know I was looking for you?"

"I didn't," Fayt replied, his voice semi-muffled in Albel's chest. "I was hiding from Sophia. She told me she'd put on thirty-three layers of lipstick and was waiting for me in the broom closet."

…

Awkward.

…

But that was how New Year's became Albel Nox' favorite holiday. And he could hardly wait for Krissmas again, just to show up Cliff and Mirage under the Mickletoe.

**--**

**Please Review!**


End file.
